Advocating for Tech Companies in Closely Watched Patent Case

Munger, Tolles & Olson represented Intel and Dell in filing an amicus brief on Feb. 7, 2017 in support of TC Heartland LLC in its lawsuit asking the U.S. Supreme Court to restrict where patent suits can be filed. The brief asserts that the current rule allowing patent owners to file an infringement lawsuit in any judicial district is unfair to accused infringers.

Munger Tolles’ brief argued that “a venue rule under which the vast preponderance of patent cases cluster in a handful of judicial districts sacrifices the benefits of percolation, misallocates the resources of the whole judiciary, and threatens to ossify the development of patent law.”

The High Court will hear oral arguments on March 27 in the closely watched case, TC Heartland LLC v. Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC.